The Lakers great was diagnosed with cardiovascular disease earlier in the week.

A press release from UCLA said, "At this time, Abdul-Jabbar would like to thank his surgical team and the medical staff at UCLA, his alma mater, for the excellent care he has received. He is looking forward to getting back to his normal activities soon."

Dr. Richard Shemin, who performed the operation, said Abdul-Jabbar was expected to make a full recovery.